Financial Resilience for Small Charities
Practical financial resilience training designed specifically for small charities with an annual income under £500,000.
Build a more financially resilient organisation
This programme is kindly supported by:
For small charities, financial resilience isn’t just about managing a budget. It’s about having the confidence, knowledge and practical tools to make better financial decisions, strengthen your funding position and build an organisation that can sustain its work for the long term.
In partnership with Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, CO3 is bringing a series of 10 practical Financial Resilience workshops to communities across Northern Ireland between November 2026 and March 2027.
Designed specifically for small charities and organisations with an annual income under £500,000, each half-day session will bring together a small group of local leaders for practical learning, funding guidance and peer support.
Thanks to the support of Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, these workshops are free for both CO3 members and non-members.
What you will gain
During the session, you’ll explore practical ways to strengthen the financial resilience of your organisation, with specialist guidance designed around the realities facing smaller charities.
You’ll also hear directly from sector experts with practical advice and tips on funding applications, and have the opportunity to connect with other charity leaders in your area facing similar challenges.
Participants will receive:
A practical, specialist-led Financial Resilience workshop
Funding application tips and guidance from Halifax Foundation
A copy of the CO3 Leaders’ Guide to Financial Resilience
Lunch and an opportunity to connect with other local charity leaders
Half-price CO3 membership for one year, giving you continued access to CO3 resources, events, connections, peer support and signposting
Each session is intentionally limited to up to 16 participants, creating space for practical discussion, questions and shared learning.
Find a session near you
Black Mountain
Venue: Black Mountain Shared Space, Ballygomartin Road, Belfast
Date: Wed, 04 November 2026
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Enniskillen
Venue:Fermanagh House, Broadmeadow Place, Enniskillen
Date: Wed, 18 November 2026
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Newry
Venue:Bolster, Marcus Street, Newry
Date: Tue, 01 December 2026
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Coleraine
Venue:Enterprise Causeway, Knocklynn Road, Coleraine
Date: Thu, 10 December 2026
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Newtownabbey
Venue: Mallusk Enterprise Park, Newtownabbey
Date: Tue, 12 January 2027
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Newtownards
Venue: Ards Business Hub, Sketrick House, Jubilee Road, Newtownards
Date: Thu, 28 January 2027
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Lisburn
Venue: Navigation House, Lisburn
Date: Thu, 04 February 2027
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Cookstown
Venue:Rural Community Network, Oldtown Street, Cookstown
Date: Wed, 10 February 2027
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Derry - Londonderry
Venue:Old Library Trust, Central Drive, Creggan, Derry/Londonderry
Date: Thu, 04 March 2027
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Belfast
Venue:CO3 Central, Glengall Exchange, Glengall Street, Belfast
Date: Thu, 25 March 2027
Time: 11:30am – 2:30pm.
Meet your Coaches
Helen Surgenor
With a background in marketing, communications and event management, Helen Surgenor’s career in fundraising spans more than 30 years from starting as a schools’ fundraiser for NSPCC in Belfast to working for Cancer Research UK and Queen’s University Belfast, where she established the health fundraising team within the Development & Alumni Relations office.
Helen has led high performing fundraising teams in three Universities across the UK and has experience of major gifts/philanthropy, community fundraising, regular giving, legacies and Trusts & Foundations. Helen has been working as a consultant since 2021, helping local charities to develop new income streams.
Siobhan Hanley
Siobhán is Director of Development and Communications, responsible for leading Cancer Fund for Children’s fundraising and communications team to strategically deliver on our ambition to ensure no child faces cancer alone. Siobhán has over 23 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, primarily in income generation, marketing & communications, strategy, team development and in the recent past has held wider senior leadership positions. Siobhán has led successful and award-winning teams in health and international development charities and is an experienced fundraiser and communications professional. Siobhán is focused on optimising sustainable income across a diverse range of sources and in continuing to expand our reach, visibility, impact, and awareness to ensure that Cancer Fund for Children has the resources it needs to support, children, young people and families impacted by cancer across the island of Ireland.
James Laverty
An experienced funding and third sector professional with over 25 years’ experience across heritage, education, community and voluntary organisations. Currently a Project Officer with Social Enterprise NI on the PEACEPLUS-funded RiSE (Rural Innovation in Social Enterprise) project, supporting rural innovation and social enterprise across Northern Ireland and the Border Counties.
Alongside this role, James provides consultancy in grant-making, funding assessment, capacity building, stakeholder engagement and fundraising strategy. Previous roles include Grants Manager for Belfast Charitable Society and the James Kane Foundation and Engagement Manager at the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
James holds an Advanced Diploma in Social Enterprise and bring extensive experience across Trusts, Foundations, EU, Lottery, international and council funding, as well as more than 20 years’ involvement with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising NI.
Small organisation. Bigger financial confidence.
If your organisation has an annual income of under £500,000 and you want to strengthen its financial sustainability, this programme gives you practical support close to home — without taking a full day away from your organisation.
Places are limited to 16 participants per session. Book your preferred location today.